There is a need for improved plasma thrusters for attitude control, station-keeping, and primary propulsion of very small satellites in space such as "Microsats" weighing less than 20 kg and "Nanosats" weighing less than one kg. These small satellites are expected to be widely used for Air Force and commercial applications. Such attitude control thrusters should be packaged in small lightweight containers and be highly efficient so as to employ small amounts of energy, typically about one watt. Relative to standard sized satellite thrusters, such small pulsed plasma thrusters (PPT), having 10-100 size reductions, should eliminate the prior art PPT which require separate spark plug igniter devices, in favor of lightweight components permitting precise control of a number of small impulse propellant modules, by means of a single electrical pulser for selectively actuating desired propellant impulse producing modules via a plurality of transmission lines.
It is desired to provide a reduction of attitude control system (ACS) thruster mass by ninety percent or more, obtained by eliminating conventional torque rods or reaction wheels, in accordance with the placement of lightweight low cost propellant modules at the corners of the spacecraft, each module independently and selectively controlled by a single low mass centrally located pulse generating thruster control device which can employ an energy storage capacitor. Also, the arrangement has none of the aforesaid prior art spark plug igniters. The use of standard, readily available components, such as those previously flight qualified, is also desired.